The most important trait

As a younger pastor with dreams and a vision that seem to be a little more progressive than other pastors around me, I can almost agonize over what I want to see done in our churches today. To be honest, there have been times that I have been fed up with my own denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, and have wondered where I fit in with all of this.

These thoughts lead me to ask myself what is the most important trait I can bring to the ministry that God has given me. Is it to be radical, a revolutionary of thoughts and ideas? Or is it to be cutting edge, shunning any of the traditional methods that I have learned over the years in an effort to reach this generation?

The answer to both of those is no. Rather I believe and understand that, once I get past my own personal desires for ministry, God has called me above all to be faithful. Faithful to preach His word and pronounce His truth. Faithful to lead His people and His church.

The passing of Dr. Forrest Pollock had me thinking about all of this. When my mentor Dr. Mark Corts passed away it brought me back to earth. His faithfulness to God was unwavering. Even though we were separated by a generation there is never a time when being faithful is outdated. I felt the same way when the great preacher and pastor Adrian Rogers passed away. And then when Dr. Pollock died these thoughts flooded into my heart again.

My ministry style doesn't have a lot in common with these men. But I do want to imitate their passion for seeing the lost come to Christ and their faithfulness to God, the churches they each led, and the denomination they each served. This faithfulness is the trait that I want to be known for.